Opening of the Spring Semester

Dear Colby Community,

It has been more than two years since the start of the global pandemic that has had a dramatic impact on our community and on individuals and communities around the world. We have adapted as the virus has changed, scientific and medical knowledge have improved, and the tools for addressing the virus have evolved. 

We must continue to act in ways that protect those who are most at risk for serious illness while recognizing the toll the pandemic has taken on the daily experience and the mental health of our students, faculty, and staff. With our community almost universally vaccinated (with boosters), the dominant variant less virulent, and infection rates dropping, we plan to modify community-wide protocols in the weeks ahead and release constraints that, for some, can inhibit teaching and learning and valuable experiences outside the classroom. 

The length and effects of the pandemic might have dulled the world’s collective optimism, but I enter this spring semester more hopeful than ever and with unending gratitude for the generosity and care of this community—a community that has made our mission of education paramount even when that has meant personal and professional sacrifices.

Despite the tribulations of these last few years, Colby has made encouraging progress toward strengthening our support for students, faculty, and staff. But there is more we must do. We have heard from students of the financial barriers that can detract from their ability to focus fully on both the rigors and joys of being a Colby student. To help address that issue, we are establishing the Weiland Welcome Grant for students from low-income families. Thanks to a heartfelt gift of $3 million from Trustee Emerita Nancy Weiland ’65 and Andrew Weiland ’64, all incoming first-year students with an expected parent/guardian contribution of $0 will receive a one-time grant of $1,250 on top of their normal financial aid package to address unexpected expenses such as technology needs, course materials, or travel home (eligible current first-year students will be receiving a prorated share of the grant for the spring semester). Other students with acute financial needs will continue to have access to the Student Success Fund I recently established to address them.

Our ongoing efforts to enhance the student experience include an expansion of campus housing. We will be adding four new residences in 2022-23 (three for the fall semester and one for the spring) that will be nestled along Johnson Pond. In total, this will add 200 beds with living accommodations designed purposefully to facilitate community-building among first- and second-year students. We are also in the design phase of a major new residence for juniors and seniors along Mayflower Hill Drive, adjacent to Mary Low, which is expected to open in 2024. 

Our efforts to make Colby and Waterville important centers for the arts are taking shape. The steel girders for the Gordon Center for Creative and Performing Arts are currently being erected as the framing for this magnificent building, which will open in 2023. The Paul J. Schupf Art Center on Main Street will open later this calendar year, and the Greene Block + Studios is already becoming a vibrant hub for working artists, performances, and exhibits.

Although the Harold Alfond Athletics and Recreation Center opened in 2020, this is the first year that we are able to benefit fully from this extraordinary facility. Our recreation and intramural programs are larger and more dynamic than ever, and many of our intercollegiate teams are playing at a championship level. In fact, we will be hosting conference playoffs and championships in the coming weeks. It is a thrilling new era for the Mules.

Last week we announced the establishment of Colby’s 500-acre island campus on Allen and Benner islands off the central coast of Maine. These historic and stunningly beautiful islands will be a source of discovery, creativity, learning, and contemplation for generations to come.

The investments we are making in our people, programs, campus, and community are paying dividends. From our nationally recognized financial aid program to increased support for faculty, including the singularly generous Haynesville Project grants for newly tenured faculty, we are taking real strides to provide the best environment for teaching, learning, and scholarship. These investments also help us to attract the most talented individuals to Colby. We have had another record-breaking year in admissions this year, with nearly 17,000 applicants for a spot in the Class of 2026, up from about 5,000 in 2014. Colby is, without a doubt, one of the most sought-after colleges in the country, and our broadened outreach allows us to continue enrolling more diverse, academically prepared classes than ever before.

I am looking forward to welcoming alumni and their families back for reunions in June. These gatherings are long overdue. And nothing is more overdue than our celebration of the members of the Class of 2020, who had their senior year interrupted by the onset of the pandemic. On June 11, 2022, we will recognize that amazing class with appropriate pomp and circumstance. I can’t wait.

We have all been through more than we could have ever imagined in the last two years, but there is so much to look forward to in the months and years ahead. It is hard not to be filled with hope, joy, and gratitude when living in this remarkable community.

David A. Greene
President